The bill amends the Education Service Cooperative Act of 1985 to enhance the flexibility and governance of education service cooperatives in Arkansas. It removes specific criteria for establishing cooperatives, such as the number of counties and school districts involved, and repeals the requirement for each cooperative to establish a teacher center. Instead, it mandates the creation of an executive subcommittee within each cooperative's board of directors, which will oversee operational aspects and ensure compliance with state education requirements. The bill also introduces a new funding formula based on student enrollment and establishes a rating system to evaluate cooperative performance, emphasizing collaboration with public school districts and open-enrollment charter schools.

Additionally, the bill outlines procedures for the dissolution of cooperatives, including the reassignment of member districts and the distribution of assets based on average daily membership. It updates the responsibilities of technology coordinators to include cyber incident responses and the development of technology training centers, while repealing previous provisions related to mathematics and science resource centers. Overall, the bill aims to strengthen the accountability and effectiveness of education service cooperatives, ensuring they are responsive to the needs of the public school districts and charter schools they serve.

Statutes affected:
HB 2002: 6-13-1002, 6-13-1003, 6-13-1004, 6-13-1005, 6-13-901, 6-13-1006, 6-13-1007, 6-13-1021, 6-13-1027, 6-13-1008, 6-13-1009, 6-13-1010, 6-13-1022, 6-13-1011, 6-13-1012, 6-13-1013, 6-13-1031, 6-13-1014, 6-13-1015, 6-13-1016, 6-13-1017, 6-13-1018, 6-13-1019, 6-13-1020, 6-13-1023, 6-13-1025, 6-13-1027(e), 6-13-1027(g)